1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, which converts a printer command input by a host computer into intermediate code (a display list) that is specifically for printers, and which develops the intermediate code into a bit map for each specific band or for each page; to a drawing processing method therefor; and to a memory medium, in which is stored a drawing processing program.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, when the time that is required for the development of a bit map by such a printing device is to be calculated, a printer command that is input by a host computer is converted into intermediate code (a display list) that is specifically for printers, and the time for drawing the display list in a raster memory is calculated before the list is physically drawn in the raster memory.
The printing device comprises a display list storage section for managing and storing, for each band, a display list for at least one page; a band drawing section for drawing the display list for each band; a band raster storage section for storing the band rasters that are drawn; and a drawing time control section for managing, for each band, a time for drawing the display list in the band raster. The time for drawing, for each band, a display list in the band raster is compared with a specified time, and when the drawing time is shorter than the specified time, the band raster is output for each band. When the drawing time is longer than the specified time, the display list storage section and a system work memory are employed as band rasters to acquire the band raster for one page, the raster for one page is generated and is output.
In the above prior art, however, time T for drawing characters from the display list to the band raster, for example, is calculated by expression (1), below, wherein the width of a character is denoted by wd and the height of a character is denoted by ht: EQU T=a+b.multidot.wd+c.multidot.ht (1)
(a, b and c are constants) PA1 (a, b, c and d are constants)
For compressed characters, drawing time T is roughly calculated by expression (2), wherein the width of a decompressed character is denoted by wd, the height of a decompressed character is denoted by ht, and the size of compressed data is denoted by S1: EQU a+b.multidot.wd+c.multidot.ht+d/S1 (2)
Therefore, it takes much time to calculate the drawing time, and especially for compressed data (when the contents of compressed data are analyzed and the number of monochrome inversions is acquired to calculate the exact data decompression time), an error in the drawing time calculation is large.